Feast of St. Ambrose
Is. 40:1-11 Ps. 96:1-3, 11-13 | Mt. 18:12-14
God calls out, “give comfort to my people.” God is saying that Israel has suffered enough and it is time to bring about a solution. We see a prophet calling out in the wilderness promising to bring about good things, e.g. mountains will be leveled, rough roads made smooth, and rough country made into a broad valley. A comparison is made to the Lord who will come as a shepherd who feeds his flock. The Gospel also contains an image of a shepherd. Jesus compares himself to the Good Shepherd who will go out after the one lost sheep and leave the ninety-nine behind. Why? Because each one, each person is so important and loved by God that He will go out of His way to bring the individual back to the loving arms of the shepherd. Jesus assures us that this is precisely what God, the Father, will do for anyone who has gone astray.
Advent is a time to be found and embraced by God. Give five extra minutes to prayer each day. Reflect on this passage of God’s love for you. Allow yourself to go to Jesus. Allow Jesus to love you and heal you from all that is a hindrance to a loving relationship with Him. Rest in Jesus’ loving arms.